Kaysone Phomvihane

Kaysone Phomvihane (13 December 1920-21 November 1992) was Chairman of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 22 March 1955 to 21 November 1992, preceding Khamtai Siphandon. He also served as Prime Minister of Laos from 8 December 1975 to 15 August 1991 (succeeding Souvanna Phouma and preceding Siphandon) and President of Laos from 15 August 1991 to 21 November 1992 (succeeding Phoumi Vongvichit and preceding Nouhak Phoumsavanh).

Biography
Kaysone Phomvihane was born in Savannakhet, French Indochina in 1920, the son of a Vietnamese father and a Laotian mother. He joined the Pathet Lao anti-colonialist movement during the First Indochina War of the 1940s, and he became Defense Minister of Lao Issara in 1950. In 1955, he was instrumental in founding the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, leading it from Sam Neua while Souphanouvong served as its puppet leader. After achieving victory in the Laotian Civil War, he served as Prime Minister of Laos from 1975 to 1991 and President from 1991 until his death in 1992.